Shougatsu
by Kinjutsu
Summary: A new year brings about closure of the past and new beginnings. Shougatsu literally translates to New Year's Day. [HitsuHina]


**A/N: **First Bleach fanfiction/drabble of mine and it JUST had to be about the lovely HitsuHina pairing. This is for the December contest on the hitsuhina community on LJ. Other than that, I don't really have much to say...so let's cut the note short and get on with the story, yeah?  
**Disclaimer**: Bleach does not belong to me in any part, any way.

"_Until you're ready, I'll be waiting."

* * *

_

"Hitsugaya-kun! Hitsugaya-kun!" Hinamori slid into a neat stop as she entered the 10th Squad Captain's office, bumping her thighs into his desk of paperwork with a slight _thump_. The white-haired shinigami did not so much as glance up, currently engaged with the battle of splattered ink on his reports. The splattered ink that she had caused, by the way.

"Hinamori," he said in a tone a few registers lower than she remembered, but full of the same reproachful mannerism that she only knew too well. "What is it?"

"Gomen," her eyes lingered at his half-ruined paperwork for a moment with a blushing face, but the apologetic eyes soon returned to their excited state. "Did you forget?" She allowed her own voice to dip a few notches in disappointment, but the corners of her lips betrayed her the last second by taking upward turns.

"No, I'm just trying to finish the last of the year's work," he replied. Indeed it was the last of his work for the time being, because tomorrow's sun will rise to meet a new year. It was a tradition to have all your duties and work completed by the closing time of the year. And tonight, all those who belong in Seiteirei will be present in the bonenkai party, whose purpose is to celebrate the leaving of worries and troubles that plagued their lives this past year. It was with this very reasoning why the event was especially important to Hinamori this year. Hitsugaya knew this, and made it one of his last duties to accompany her to the festival. It was not a date, oh no, he had only asked her because he didn't want to chance someone _else_ taking her. No, someone else would not be able to look over her with the same meticulous care that he would and that would be unacceptable. Completely and utterly unacceptable.

She only nodded at his reply and took a seat on his couch opposite to him. There were some stains marring the age-softened fabric, but she didn't mind. In fact, she knew exactly where the origin of the red wine had come from: the cup of one of her favorite vice-captains. And she found it ironic that though Matsumoto was the cause of her being in Hitsugaya's office, the strongest trace of her in the room was this blot of wasted alcoholic beverage. Her eyes flickered up to the clock, the hands signaling that it was already half past six. It was only a few more hours till the new year, and even less than that till the party began.

"Is there a reason you've come?" He asked from his desk, sparing a glance towards the couch that hid Hinamori's small frame. He watched her for a moment as she seemed to trace a pattern on the other side of her seat. If his memory served him well, she had burst into his office, crying out his name. And let's not forget the ink that she had caused him to spill.

"No, why do you ask?" Innocent eyes rose from behind the couch, smiling and dancing to meet his own.

In his usual air of confident silence, he answered her question. She smiled sheepishly as her gaze tore from his face to the ink-tarnished report that he held up for her to see. Turning around so that her back faced him, she fingered the soft plum blossom petals on his coffee table. She had brought him a small pot to liven up his office for the New Year and was glad to realize that the blossoms had opened up a bit more since she last saw them.

"Well, it's already half past six…" She trailed off. She trusted that he knew where she was going to take it.

"I am well aware of that, I can read the clock on my own," he hit her with some of his witty sarcasm, soft undertones available to only those who know how to interpret them – Hinamori being one of those rare people, of course. She turned around once again to face him only to find the top of his white head of hair, whilst his eyes were buried in his papers.

"That wasn't what I meant, Shiro-chan!" She cried out, using the nickname that he despised so much to let him know that she wasn't about to let up. She was serious; she wanted him to be serious too – or at least to look at her while she was talking. "I know you can tell time, but I also know that you have trouble _keeping_ time," a soft pout formed on her face, she was not one to pout much, so this was a bit of an odd moment.

Hitsugaya quirked an eyebrow, it must have been Matsumoto who had done this. Last year, Hitsugaya had accompanied his vice-captain to the festival, only to be hours late due to backtracked work. It didn't really matter to him much; he was not one to be superstitious and his vice-captain was too drunk to realize by the time he had arrived to yell at him. That did not mean that Matsumoto had forgotten his little error of tardiness though. Sometimes Hitsugaya wondered how the woman was so adept in retaining memory with a drunken mind.

To Hinamori's surprise, the young Captain stood up from his seat and strode over to her. "Hinamori," he sighed, extending a hand down to her. Hinamori looked from his hand to his face, then back to his hand with a bewildered expression.

_He's taking my hand._ The insides of her fluttered for a moment as she allowed her dazed demeanor to reign over her body for a split second. Finally, she placed her hand in his, noticing how his hand had expanded so much in compared to her own.

"I will be there, I promise. I just want everything to be done in time so I don't have to worry," he gave her a gentle smile, pouring warmth over her heart. "It's best to start the new year correctly, am I wrong?" There it was again, the smile that never waned. She nodded in agreement, feeling the goose bumps as he pulled her up next to him and placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Hitsugaya-kun," she said his name, a bit too breathless for her liking, but his name all the same.

"You can get an early start of getting ready, and I promise I'll meet you there," his reassurance was almost hypnotizing. She nodded in compliance, and looked at the clock. Forty past six, the dinner started at eight, she's going to have less than an hour to get ready if she didn't move it. Seriously, what was she thinking?

A few moments later, she stood outside of his office, wondering what had just happened. She had came with the goal of pulling Hitsugaya from his work, the goal of making him get ready for the event – yet it was her who ended up being persuaded. Last but not least, she was ushered out of his office, and feeling a lot less indignant than she should be. Oh, the cunning way the wheels in Hitsugaya's mind churned, he was a genius for sure.

From behind Hitsugaya's doors, he went about his work once again, writing in the quick, boyish script that only he possessed. Making Matsumoto wait for him on accident was one thing, but he was not going to do it to Hinamori.

_Until you are ready, I will be waiting._ He had told her this when she was still asleep in her coma. He did not pray that she would awake, for he _knew_ that she was going to wake up. Hinamori would not abandon him; the bond between them was too strong. So he waited, waited until she would wake up in her own accord. And that, she did, a year and a half after the war had started. Sadly, Hinamori had slept through just only half of the war, waking up to a world of bloodshed and sorrow. Hitsugaya had been by her side as much as he could, whether she knew it or not and promised more than ever that he would protect her better. Her physical health had been a mess, her mental health was even worse off; but he was there with her to ease the pain on her trek back to full sanity.

The war finally ended roughly a year and a half after she had woke up; the end of this month would mark their 10th month anniversary of their victory. All the suffering that was caused by Aizen to Hinamori would perish as the new year begins and he was going to make sure that she never hurts again. And that is why he will keep his promise for tonight, why he will not be late for her.

* * *

"Yo." 

Hinamori clasped her dress sandals to her chest with a start and walked towards her sliding door. On the other side of the papery wall, she recognized the silhouette of her friend. The way the moon was positioned tonight stretched his shadow even more drastically than usual, making his newfound height even more obvious. "Always with the sneaking up, and this time it's at my own door!" She scolded gently.

He just smiled and turned to the side, leaning his back against one of the small pillars in front of her quarters. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, but…" She turned over to glance at the clock in her room. "It's 7:20, you're early!"

"But are you ready?" He asked again from the other side.

"Yes, I told you already."

"Then that's all that matters," he answered her. Hitsugaya did not revolve himself around the clock, time itself revolved around him. He heard her soft grunt of agreement and the clicking of her sandals as she lowered them to the ground.

Sliding her feet into the wooden footwear, she successfully added some height to herself, however she knew that she would no longer be able to tower over her childhood friend like she used to. A sense of pride surged through her chest and abdomen momentarily as she fixated her gaze upon Hitsugaya's shadow. If she haven't come to fancy him so much, she would have sworn that her feelings belonged to that of a proud mother or older sister. But any other mother or sister wouldn't even know where to begin to fathom her feelings for him.

Slowly, she slid the door separating them open, revealing her formal attire. Her normal fabric-bounded bun laid on top of her head without the usual covering. Instead, spirals of tiny curls sprang loosely from the epicenter of the bun only to be held together by two pale pink plum blossoms not unlike the ones he had in his office. The simple white kimono that adorned her slender built added a touch of delicacy to her as well as an air of elegance. As his eyes traced downwards, he noticed that an intricate pattern of the same pink hue as the flowers in her hair decorated the hem of her kimono. A smile touched his lips as she watched her poorly hidden excitement; it had been a while since she had been able to feel this way.

"What is it?"

"What's what?" He answered her, turning his smile downwards just slightly.

"That smile of yours from before, why were you smiling like that?" Hinamori pressed on, reaching for her bag that she left on the table by the door.

"Nothing really, I was just thinking to myself."

Hinamori turned to him with curiosity, cheeks flushing a little bit which she hoped the night had hid from him. "And what were you thinking?"

He paused momentarily, placing a hand on his chin. It made him look older than he was, and Hinamori secretly wondered if that was the reason why he does it so often. "That you don't clean up so badly, bed wetter Momo."

An indignant look crossed Hinamori's face and whatever tiny coloring from before turned into a full-fledged blush, though not for the same reason obviously. Slapping him in the chest with her bag, she marched out of her room and into the cool night air. It was only soon after when she realized what he had called her. Though it was not a flattering name, not even in the very least, it was still a rather reminiscent name that triggered a lot of good memories between them. The real surprising fact was that this was the first time he had used it on her since they met in the academy.

"I hate that name," she muttered as he drew her door shut and followed her steps. "I don't even know where you got it from. I've never wetted my bed as a child."

"That's not the point," he said from her side, taking strides about twice the size as her own.

She shook her head and laughed, part of him will always be enigmatic to her, serving as her favorite conundrum of all time. They walked under the moonlight, towards the area where the party was to be held. The crowd was surprisingly thin, considering how popular the annual event was. People were all probably getting last minute preparations ready or celebrating early with some alcoholic beverage elsewhere - that was Hitsugaya's guess anyway.

"OY! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" A harassed looking shinigami in a blue kimono flew passed them, almost stepping on Hinamori's toes.

"IKKAKU!" Hinamori roared, looking as intimidating as she'd ever get.

"What are you doing?" Hitsugaya demanded, stepping in front of Hinamori to put some space between them.

"Hanetsuki," Ikkaku replied with a smile, holding up his hagoita (wooden paddle). It was a form of Japanese badminton, a game in which he was currently sharing with a not-so-happy looking Kira. "But more importantly, what are _you_ doing? You should join in so that Matsumoto would get her chance in playing doubles."

"No, thank you." Hitsugaya's reply was short and to the point.

"What about you, Hinamori?" Ikkaku turned to ask her.

"No, thank you." She echoed Hitsugaya's words, though not his curtness. As soon as she had answered, a wooden paddle flew past her ear. Apparently Matsumoto did not know how to play very well.

"You might want to clear the field then," Ikkaku said at last and turned back to Matsumoto. "Damn it, that's not how you play!"

Hinamori scowled, now she figured out the real reason why the crowd was so thin – Ikkaku had cleared them out with the rest of those who were playing. There probably was less than half an hour till the party, yet they didn't even seem like they were letting up anytime soon. Out of nowhere, a tiny pink blur jumped up and sidestepped her and Hitsugaya.

"I want to playyyyyyyy," she heard Yachiru sing out. Two seconds later, it was followed by a "GET THE HELL OFF MY HEAD."

"I guess we better return later," Hinamori frowned in her suggestion. Hitsugaya nodded and led the way to the quieter areas of Seireitei. They walked in silence for a while, their gaze never leaving the path in front of them. Before long, Hinamori realized that they were crossing a familiar bridge towards the central garden of Seireitei. Fireworks were available for display at midnight in the garden every new year's eve, but not until then.

"It seems like we're early here, too." Hinamori smiled. "I actually thought we'd be la…" She trailed off suddenly and Hitsugaya turned in time to catch the thrilled look in her eyes.

"Hitsugaya-kun, look!"

"Look at what?" He asked in a slightly grumpy voice for no reason at all.

"At that! Look, a family of snow rabbits," she grinned, pulling him by his arm and directing his vision with her finger. It figures that Hinamori would get excited over some cute, furry animal.

He smiled and watched her as she accidentally alarmed the rabbits with her voice, face falling in disappointment while they scampered away.

"Don't worry, they'll return," he told her and guided her towards another bridge that was deeper inside the garden. The trees were thinner in that area and the moonlight shone brighter than anywhere else in all of Soul Society. "I think this would be a perfect spot for the viewing tonight."

"We would be able to see all of the fireworks here," she smiled and looked up at the night sky. It had only occurred to her in that moment that she was still holding onto Hitsugaya's arm. The act wasn't as conspicuous when he was shorter than her…but now that he wasn't, it was a whole other story. It shouldn't be a big deal; it wasn't like she had never smothered him with her enthusiasm and dragged him along by his arm before. But she found it hard to dismiss it as easily as she did back then and even harder to let go.

"Hitsugaya-kun," she turned to him and smiled, placing both of her hands on the wooden railing of the bridge.

"Nani?"

"I just wanted to thank you for taking me tonight," her smile grew as he returned it with one of his own.

"It's no big deal, that's what friends are for, right?"

"R-Right," her gaze turned down towards the frozen pond below them. She had considered this a date, but it was obvious that it didn't go both ways. Then again, she knew he probably thought this way for her benefit. She had more than just a hard time regaining trust as well as her grip in the pleasures of simple, everyday things. Hitsugaya, she knew, would protect her with his life and do anything but force her out of her own pace. But her long road to recovery had lasted for quite a while now, what she needed was this night of closure and the knowledge that she was going to start the new year out the way that she wanted. She was ready to kick her once crippled pace up a few notches to match everyone else's again; normalcy will be hers once more.

_You've got to be more assertive! _She remembered Matsumoto telling her.  
_Stop being so stupid! _Yachiru yelled at her, also giving her some advice - but what the little pink-haired girl knew about relationships was beyond Hinamori.

Raising her line of vision from the pond to the clearing before her, she cleared her throat softly. "But I wanted to thank you anyway, not just for tonight, but for everything." Hitsugaya had opened his mouth to reply, but Hinamori interrupted him. "And don't you dare say it wasn't a big deal, because you know better than that."

Hitsugaya stared at her for a few moments and chuckled. "I was just going to say you're welcome."

"Oh," she looked flustered for a split second, but renewed her smile right after. "I also wanted to say that…" She trailed off with a thoughtful expression on her face, as if she was searching with all her might to find the right words.

"Yes?" He asked, gently encouraging her to continue.

"I really, really like being with you," she said at last. Her tongue had found a way with words to dance around what she _really_ wanted to say.

"I enjoy your company too," he gave her a serene smile, turning outwards to look at their surroundings once more. He had definitely grown up from the boy that told her he wished her to never visit him.

"It's not just that," Hinamori added. She had wish that she wouldn't have to say it out loud, but he obviously wasn't going to be making it easy. It was good in a sense that he wasn't assuming things about or from her, but it proved to be pretty inconvenient in this situation.

"Hinamori, what is it that you want to say? Just say it," he turned to her with a raised eyebrow. She had never been the one to be nervous with words, not around him anyway.

"I- it's just that-" Hinamori's mind was cluttered with frustration, impatience and Matsumoto's voice telling her to be more assertive. (Strangely Yachiru's advice faded into the background.) "I really, really like you. In fact, I think I love you," she finally blurted out all in one breath.

Hitsugaya found his voice trapped somewhere between his stomach and his throat. He had a notion that she felt this way about him, and he had known a long time ago that her feelings had not gone unrequited on his behalf. What he had not expected was the sudden outburst of her confessing her feelings; in actuality, he thought it might be too soon for her. It was no secret that she had harbored strong feelings towards Aizen. And though they were platonic, they defined her in a way by pushing her to mark her goals and strive to be better. Aizen had been the steady waves that guided her boat, and in more than one way, Hitsugaya had been envious.

He turned and looked down into her dark eyes, alighted now with a glow that he hadn't witnessed before. But there was a problem, he did not want to be her steady waves. He did not want to be her replacement for Aizen, an alternative to pour her excess feelings in. All the years of envy had been spent in vain, as he came to realize that what they shared is better, a whole lot better than that. Hinamori was stronger than she had been credited for; she did not need the steady waves because she was not a lost boat. All she needed was time to align her feelings properly, he didn't want to be with her for the wrong reasons. When the right time came, he wanted the real thing in its rawest form.

"Hinamori…" Without another word, he lowered his head and brushed his lips against her forehead. Pulling back, he turned away from her to avoid her stunned silence.

"Hitsugaya, did you hear me?" Her voice was soft and full of holes formed by self-consciousness. "Please look at me when I'm talking to you."

He took in a shuddered breath and faced her, trying his best to tell himself that he was doing the right thing. Performing on his will to comply to her now would only be taking advantage of her. "I don't think this is the best time."

"Then do you feel the same way about me?" Of course she knew the answer to this, but she wanted to hear it from him. To hear something with finality from him always made everything better, even if circumstances did not show it.

All she got in return was his undeterred silence. Always the same silence that he masked with cold indifference when he was at lost with words. "Why would this be the wrong time? Isn't it the point to start something fresh and new during the new year?" She pressed on, she wasn't about to give up yet.

"We should wait till everything settles," he spoke with a certain softness that only agitated her more.

"Till _what_ settles, Hitsugaya? Whatever that is happening is between us has nothing to do with everything else. Or do you really mean wait till _I_ settle instead?" Her eyes flashed with scathing fire, flames that would yield to no one.

"That isn't it," he answered her curtly. It would be a bad moment to tell her that he felt that she needed more time to sort out her feelings. And it would be an even worse time to tell her that he didn't want to be confused as an outlet for her feelings towards Aizen.

"Don't lie to me, that is what you think, isn't it?" Her voice, despite her angry demeanor, dropped into a low melancholy tone. "Sometimes you look at me the same way some of the others do, do you know that?"

"What way?" His frown deepened.

"The way you would look at someone who is maimed, someone who is still at loss. Eyes full of sympathy, assuming that the person you are looking at would accept it," she breathed in deeply in a mournful reverie of how she had been treated since she had woken up.

"It's not that Hinamori," he felt his shoulders slack a bit in his reluctance to reveal his real reasons. And even then, he didn't want to tell her everything yet. "I just think it might be best for you to take all of your relationships slowly, this is not just between us, and this is what I meant by everything." He had taken extra care in doing his best protecting her from any possibilities of harm, his efforts would have meant nothing if he blew it now.

"Do not protect me so much to a point where you even lock out yourself," Hinamori's eyes flashed once again, tired of him trying to do so much for her. "Where do you think I would be if it weren't for the relationship that formed between us? And even from then it had grown to something more, wouldn't you say? Whether you want to protect me from it, or shun it from realization won't change the fact that it _does_ exist," her frustrations finally vented themselves fully for the first time that night.

"I just- " He had started, trying his best to make her see in his point of view.

"I don't understand if you think that I don't know what I want, or that I'm not prepared or whatever it is that goes on in that head of yours," she interrupted him. "But if you asked me, I would say that _you're_the one who isn't prepared." A thin cloud of smoke from the chill escaped her lips as she continued on, until only silence fell between them.

Lifting her hands from the railing of the bridge, she decided to turn and leave. The party was about to start soon anyway, and she did not want to be known as one of the ones to have missed the beginning. Hitsugaya made no motion to turn around, instead he kept a straight face towards the pond below him.

"Until you're ready, I'll be waiting."

With that she turned to leave, leaving him mesmerized at the words she had chosen – the words he once used on her while she was in her coma.

* * *

He didn't speak to her for most of the night, partly because she wouldn't speak to him and partly because he was deep in his own revelations. Had he been so blind to realize that while he had taken precautious measures in protecting her, she had risen to something more on her own? He shook his head roughly and poured the remainder of the contents in his teacup down his throat. Every now and then, he had turned to keep a lookout for Hinamori, but was dissuade to do anything else because she was having fun on her own. The last thing she looked like she would need is his guard. 

"Hitsu-Hitsu," a voice chanted from beside him in his seat, causing him to frown. He didn't even need to turn around to see the origin of said voice.

"What is that you want, Yachiru?" He was gruffer than he meant to be, but seriously, what the hell kind of nickname is Hitsu-Hitsu? But instead of wasting energy to correct her, the tired captain just sat back and tried his best to ignore it.

"Who said I wanted anything?" The girl cocked her head to a side and stared at him.

"Never mind then, I'm sorry," he leaned forward into the dining table to pour himself a new cup of tea.

"Well whoever said it was right," she grinned. Hitsugaya fought against rolling his eyes.

"Who did you come with?" She asked. "I'm asking everyone. Did you know that Nanao came with Yumichika?" She giggled. "I think that's one of the most talked couple so far tonight."

"Oh really," he answered her with passive indifference.

"Ne, who did you come with? I'll tell you who _I_ came with," she poked him lightly, as if her proposal was a fair exchange.

"I'm sorry, but I do not really have an interest in who you came with," he turned away from her as he saw Hinamori passing by.

"You're just mean because you didn't come with anyone and that's why you're sitting here by yourself! LOSER!" Yachiru frowned and stalked away, going back to her date. (Who just happened to be her Ken-chan, though he secretly arranged a date with Captain Unohana of the Fourth Division without Yachiru's knowing – but that's a whole different story altogether.)

He sighed as he finally had peace and quiet again, allowing him to sort through his own feelings and plan his actions. Apologizing should be on top of the list, but what then? She had told him that she was more than capable of having a deep relationship again, so it was only right for him to trust her, wasn't it?

"You stick out like a sore thumb, you know that?" His vice captain spoke this time, placing an arm over the back of his chair to steady herself. "Brooding the way you are in a festive moment like this."

Hitsugaya remained quiet, wondering if he should help her into a chair.

"New Year's Eve's never a day to spend by yourself…or sober…but that's not the point…" She then rambled on about some other stuff and then randomly screamed out Kira's name. Before she left, she pointed over to Hinamori and slapped him on the back.

A frown creased between his brows and he started to get up. Midnight was almost here and if he left early, he wouldn't have to be exposed to inquiries such as the two previous ones. Being called a loser from a child and being slapped on the back by his own vice captain, albeit very drunk vice captain, was not his idea of a good time. As he exited the hall where the festivities were held, he caught the glimpse of Hinamori's back as she seemed to be entertained by Yachiru's string of rumors.

_Hinamori_. Well he couldn't very well just leave her like that, could he? Not only would he be pushing himself away from her, he would be pushing her away from him too. And besides, his apology shouldn't wait till tomorrow – it will just have to wait until midnight when the couples will regroup and he can hopefully catch her by herself.

By half past eleven, Hitsugaya started to observe the emptying of the crowd that was inside of the hall. Some ran to the garden for spots, some stumbled out in drunken stupors, while others like the Captain of the thirteenth and sixth division took care in walking out with the air of dignity attached to them. He had to restrain from craning his neck to look for Hinamori, she would be out on her own soon enough.

However after fifteen long antagonizing minutes, he realized that the hall had been emptied out and not once did he catch a glimpse of the girl dressed in white. With a frown, he went back inside to double check, only to find Yachiru riding on a red-faced looking Hanatarou.

"Have you seen Ken-chan?" She asked once her eyes laid on Hitsugaya.

"Have you seen Hinamori?" He asked her in return while shaking his head in answer to her question.

The girl shook her head as well and shrugged. "I think she left earlier though, I'm not sure. Is she your da-"

"Thank you, Yachiru," Hitsugaya swiftly cut her off and turned out of the hall. He heard Yachiru's voice of confusion for a second before commanding Hanatarou to go in the direction of Kenpachi – or where she thought he was anyway.

With a heavy feeling in his chest, he trudged back out into the night and looked around. The last of the crowd all seemed to be heading towards the garden, marking a path all on their own. He knew it would be most unlikely for Hinamori to run off somewhere else and miss the event, since it was what she was building up for a while. Hoping that his instincts were right, he pushed past the rather drunken crowd in front of him and headed towards the gardens. He soon passed by the spot where Hinamori had spotted the rabbits earlier and kept on pushing forward in hopes of finding her before the fireworks started.

"Kuchiki-san, have you seen Hinamori?" He paused in his steps to ask Rukia. She shook her head in apology and went on her way without a word. Something was off with her tonight, but Hitsugaya did not and probably would not have a chance to find out. He had problems of his own, and judging by the density of the people packed inside the garden tonight, he wasn't sure if they would be solved in time.

"TEN. NINE. EIGHT …." The people around him began to chant. He sighed in defeat and walked randomly towards a spot that wasn't as crammed and tight.

"SEVEN … SIX…" His ears continued to echo with the countdown that he did not join.

"Hitsugaya-kun?"

"FIVE…FOUR…"

"Hina…mori?" Hitsugaya turned around, eyes picking out the single white flower in the field that melted around her, her and her fire that is.

"THREE…"

"Why are you…when did you…?" Hitsugaya asked, taking steps towards her.

"TWO…"

"We agreed that this would be the perfect place for the viewing, didn't we?" Hinamori smiled softly up at him.

"ONE!" A thunderous uproar of shrieks and cheerful laughter rippled through the air around them as a multitude of fireworks lit up the sky.

However even before the countdown had reached to 'one' Hitsugaya had lowered his head towards Hinamori to capture her lips in his; something that he should have done sooner. It was as gentle as he could manage it, while his arms snaked behind her to pull her closer to him. The kiss did not last very long, in fact, it had stopped almost as abruptly as it had started.

"You were early again, Hitsugaya-kun. Matsumoto is right, you've grown horrible at keeping time," Hinamori told him with a disapproving voice that was equipped with a hidden smile dancing in the corner of her lips that only he could see.

"I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer," he replied, withdrawing a hand from around her waist to stroke her cheek while she flushed a delicious shade of red. "I'm sorry."

"I know," she pressed her cheek against him and smiled. "It's ok."

_Until you are ready, I'll be waiting,_ they had told each other. Now they were both ready, ready to take on whatever that laid ahead.

* * *

When ice surrounds a flickering flame, its first instinct is to protect it with its strong walls. It would shield out the harmful and the darkness, and surround it with an epitome of light that only something as pure as white snow can offer. Subsequently, to shelter with such vehemence often resulted in focusing fully on the battlefield; eyes that fought to protect were blind to the flame that was steadily building in strength, loosing its unsightly waver. It is not until the flame grows strong and tall enough to touch the ice walls that the realization will dawn. And in that tender moment of their relationship, an initial intimacy will emerge because that is when ice _truly_ meets flame. 


End file.
